Snohomish High School "Jazz Illusion" quartet plays a School of Jazz studio session with a holiday twist.

Trombonist Conner Eisenmenger mentors the Decatur High School Jazztet in a KNKX School of Jazz performance

KNKX presents a School of Jazz studio session with the Edmonds Woodway High School jazz ensemble at Boxley's in North Bend

Located between the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Decatur High School in Federal Way is in prime position to soak up all the arts activities on offer. And these teenagers are creating their own art as part of a successful and still-growing jazz program.

Snohomish High School's band program celebrates it's 90th year this year, and the all-star jazz ensemble showed us how talented their musicians are. With saxophonists Kate Olson and Brent Jensen in mentor and instructor roles, it's clear there's some fantastic jazz blowing down from the north.

Ingraham High School's jazz program is booming, expanding to include a pair of big bands under the direction of Shane Henderson. With their mentor, saxophonist Peter Daniel, Ingraham's all-star jazz ensemble showed off their passion for this music in the KNKX studios with a trio of classic tunes.

For a third time, KNKX hosted an all-star jazz ensemble from CWU for a studio session performance. The fresh faces of this combo did have some familiarity, with two former School of Jazz high schoolers in the group as well as our friend, saxophonist Mark Taylor, acting as mentor.

Saxophonist Anton Schwartz wished he'd had more time to work with the young jazz combo from Eckstein Middle School. In the KNKX studios, these six young women stepped up and showed Schwartz there was no need to be nervous. These kids can really play.

Jazz musicians are always learning, and thanks to Seattle's nonprofit Jazz Night School program, students ages 10-74 are getting that education. An all-star ensemble mentored by trumpet and sax player Jay Thomas showed us how fun the early stages of learning jazz can be at any age.

Under the direction of Jim Sisko for the past seven years, the jazz program at Bellevue College is emphasizing a more diverse set of musical skills. The well respected big band remains, but students are focusing more on small groups, improvisation, arranging and composition. When Sisko brought an all-star combo from the college into the KNKX studios, he told us that new focus is paying dividends.